


Sunset Under Bluebells

by Hitsugi_Zirkus



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Tumblr: makoharufestival, haruka's an artist, that smile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-14
Updated: 2014-03-14
Packaged: 2018-01-15 18:19:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1314550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hitsugi_Zirkus/pseuds/Hitsugi_Zirkus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka never made a conscious effort to memorize Makoto’s smiles, but as the years passed, it became apparent that he simply knew the differences.</p><p>Sequel can now be found: <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/1767313">Sunrise Through Gardenias</a></p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunset Under Bluebells

**Author's Note:**

> Flower language strikes again in my writing! For these Free! fics though, I've been using the Japanese language of flowers (hanakotoba) rather than the Victorian/Western one I'm accustomed to. In this fic, there's the title's sake, bluebells (grateful) and the MakoHaru favorite, forget-me-nots (true love).
> 
> More transferring from my festival entries! Whoop!

_That one. Definitely that one_.

Haruka Nanase stopped right in the middle of painting another blue layer on the surface of the water on his canvas. It was definitely water, but without shades or lighting, there was no way to indicate depth or capture any of water’s beauty. Haruka had spent the last thirty minutes trying to perfect it, almost obsessively. The whole time he painted though, he thought hard about how he could complete it.

Of course, he painted in watercolor. He was best at drawing nature, mostly water landscapes. For the upcoming art show that his senpai in the club dragged him into though, the theme was “a beautiful face”. Haruka didn’t know what that meant at first, and was _definitely_  disinterested in painting faces. His senpai insisted though that the theme was all up to the artist’s interpretation, and that the word “beautiful” was meant to highlight the subjective, artistic view of beauty, and it didn’t mean conventionally so. Once again, not that Haruka particularly understood nor cared. He was all but forced to join club in the swim team’s off season anyway and now what he painted was being dictated!

Well, he managed somehow.

A combination of flowers – bluebells and forget-me-nots – and the water decorated most of the canvas. Around the center was the close-up of a person, laying on the ground with their fingertips dipped into the shallow water. Most of the person’s face was hidden by the hanging bluebells and closed eyes. For not being very experienced with human anatomy, he thought he was doing very well. Then again, Kou had been sending him reference pictures for the last week. Granted, they were mostly pictures highlighting the subject’s _muscles_ , but…

Haruka couldn’t think up how to finish Makoto’s face. He had an idea of what he wanted. The theme was a beautiful face. Considering water did not have a face, Haruka had to go with the next best thing when interpreting the theme for himself. Makoto was attractive, that he knew. And when he had a good, focused day, his dive and arched back were beautiful. His face…

 _Makoto smiles a lot_. He smiled so easily, giving it to anyone and making the girls swoon. But Haruka had known Makoto for years. He knew the differences between his smiles and what they meant. He knew which one was fake or could light up Makoto’s eyes or was only a polite one. He never made a conscious effort to memorize them, but as the years passed, it became apparent that he simply  _knew_.

But most of all, Haruka knew Makoto’s smile when he was completely, serenely happy. It was the smile that made Makoto’s green eyes all dreamy and would tug at the corner of his lips gently. Still, there was such a quiet intensity about it, like…like…  _Like he’s completely captivated_.

Haruka really loved that smile. Makoto didn’t show it enough. But in the middle of painting the water, Haruka knew very well that was the smile he wanted to paint on Makoto’s face. _That one,_ he thought, feeling his lips tug upward a bit. _Definitely that one_.

Feeling very accomplished, Haruka switched brushes, moving slowly to paint the quiet warmth of Makoto’s face. His hand was sure, but steady, giving Makoto’s smile all the obsessive attention as he did when he painted the water.

* * *

Makoto’s phone buzzed on his bed. He was playing a videogame with Ran and Ren when he heard it, and paused just as Ren’s racecar was going to pass him up.

“Wah! Onii-chan, no fair, I was so close!” he protested.

Makoto laughed, picking up his phone. “I’m sure you can still beat me no problem. Let me just see who this was…” Makoto flipped open his phone, seeing he had new mail.

FROM: penguinmatehazuki@livedoor.com  
TO: makotachi@gmail.com  
SUBJECT: creeper hazuki!  
ATTACHED FILE: haruchan.jpg

_ne ne look who i found when i went to pick rei-chan up from math club!_ _ヽ_ _(_ _･∀･_ _)_ _ﾉ_

It was a picture of Haruka in the art club room. Makoto didn’t get to see him “in action” in club often, mostly because he didn’t want to seem too nosy about what Haruka was painting. It was so rare to see Haruka put in any effort towards anything other than his love for water, so Makoto made sure never to ask too much about it.  _Even though I’m so curious_ …

Makoto’s eyes widened a bit, seeing the smile on Haruka’s face. It was small, but definitely there, transforming his normally impassive countenance into pure warmth and affection. Makoto had never seen such a look on Haruka’s face, and it was different from the usual content and bliss when Haruka was in the water.  _This… this is_ …

 _I really, really want to know what he’s painting_!! The angle of Nagisa’s photo had Haruka’s piece a bit too flat for him to see properly what Haruka was smiling so  _fondly_  at. He was so frustrated! Makoto buried his face in his phone, cheeks burning.

“Eehh, Onii-chan, what happened?”

“Ren, did you break Onii-chan!? What did you do!?”

“Nothing! Hey, Onii-chan, tell us what it is!”

 _Oh God, I’m so jealous of that damn painting_!!

**Author's Note:**

> Someone on tumblr suggested I make a sequel to this. I'm a bit on the fence about it, but it seems Makoto shouldn't be tortured so, haha.


End file.
